INTRODUCTION
A little 4-year-old African girl had been sold as a slave. She had never known what love was. Even her name, Keodi, meant “Nobody loves me!”
When she grew to be about 10 years old, her body became covered with ugly sores. The natives turned her out and would have nothing to do with her. But some kind missionaries took Keodi in and put clothes on her.
At first, she could not believe anyone loved her. She went about saying, “I am only Keodi; nobody loves me.” The missionaries told her that Jesus loved her, and tried to teach her what love meant. Then she looked down at her dress, clean body, and bandaged sores, and said, “Is this love?” They told her that it was.
Love is shown by kindness and giving. God showed His great love to us by giving His dear and only Son to die for us. Jesus showed His love for us by giving His life for us. He did not only say He loved us, but He showed His love by suffering in our place. We show His love for us through our service for Him, as well as our love for others through ministry to them in God’s name.
BACKGROUND
Our series on Unlikely Heroes brings us today to another young man too ordinary to perhaps carry the hero’s cape upon his back. His name was John, a common name among Jewish boys, and so he was called “John, son of Zebedee” to distinguish him from other Johns. His mother was Salome, who may have been a sister to Mary, mother of Jesus. He also appears to have had an acquaintance with the High Priest.
He and his older brother, James, were fishermen, as was their father. They worked their fishing trade in tandem with two other men, Peter and Andrew, in the town of Bethsaida, near Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. But this family was of some means, for we find that their father owned a fishing vessel and had hired servants. His mother was said to have ministered to Jesus out of her own resources. Also, John had his own house, for it was there that John took Jesus’ mother, Mary, and cared for her.
John was a disciple of John the Baptizer before following Jesus. When Jesus came, calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow him, like the others he left his occupation as a fisherman to become a “fisher of men.”
There was, however, one trait that would set this man apart from the other twelve disciples of Jesus, and would, in fact, come to be his rule of life. That trait was love, and would turn this improbable protagonist into a hero to many.
John as you know, wrote five of our New Testament books. He wrote a loosely biographical, somewhat theological, treatise on the life of Jesus, three small epistles, and the book of Revelation. Our starting text for today will be a passage from his first epistle, 1 John 4:7-12. This Scripture will reveal just how important love was to the man who would come to be called “the Beloved Apostle” and “the Apostle of Love.” READ
I find concerning John that …
I. He Had a Loyal Love for Jesus Christ
Jesus first met Jesus through John the Baptizer, of whom he was a devoted disciple. When John declared of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” in John 1:29, John immediately began to follow this man from Galilee. This shows a loyal love for Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life.”
From what appears to be eyewitness accounts in John 2-5, John must have accompanied Jesus for some time before resuming his trade back home. When Jesus visited their place of business and called them to follow, John, like the others, did not hesitate.
John, because of his loyal love for Jesus, would become one of Jesus’ inner circle, along with James, his brother, and. Peter. They would have the privilege of watching Jesus raise a little girl from the dead, behold His glory when He was transfigured on the mount, and hear His agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene.
So loyal was his love for Jesus that on five different occasions in his gospel he refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). We are told in John 13:23 that on the night in which they all partook of the Passover meal, John “was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,” which was the place of honor.
As Jesus hung on the cross, concern for His mother’s well-being was evident, and seeing his loyal and loving disciple close by, he made an urgent request. John records in John 19:26-27, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
John’s commitment to Jesus for the long haul established him as perhaps the one disciple with the most loyal love for Jesus. It was unmistakable throughout his long life, for he was the one disciple reputed to have died of old age, somewhere around the age of ninety.
The story is told of a very wealthy man who lost his wife when his son was very young. There came into that home a housekeeper to take care of the young boy. She loved the boy as if he were his own and committed herself to his well-being. When the young lad came of age, he died. The old man had no other relatives and soon died of a broken heart.
The wealthy man’s will revealed that his whole estate was to be sold at auction. Of all the many items, the housekeeper desired only one piece: a large picture of the boy she had loved and for whom she had cared.
On the day of the auction, the man’s lawyer and executor announced that the auction would begin with the selling of the large portrait of the son. While many complained, the housekeeper was pleased. She had saved up some money to attempt to purchase the portrait.
In the opening bidding, only the old housekeeper spoke up, offering $25 for the painting. Since there were no other bids, the bidding was closed, and the painting became hers. Then the lawyer stepped up and announced that the sale was completed. The crowd grew angry, but receiving no answers, they slowly drifted away. The lawyer caught up with the housekeeper and asked to have a word with her.
It was then that the housekeeper learned that the wealthy old man had decided to give his entire estate to the one person loving enough to buy the portrait of his son. The housekeeper was stunned at the turn of events. Her loyal love had made her a wealthy woman.
How loyal are you in your love for Christ? Can you say there is no other you love as much as Jesus? Are you willing to serve him faithfully all the days of your life because of your love for Him?
We also notice of John that …
II. He Had a Zealous Love for Spiritual Matters (John 9:49-50)
In Mark 3:17, as Mark is first cataloging the list of Jesus’ twelve disciples, he parenthetically states concerning James and John “to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder.” This appears to be a reference to their temper, but I believe it also refers to their fierce love for spiritual matters.
On one occasion in Luke 9:49-50, Luke records, “John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.’”
Our sense of justice cries out against John for his over-zealousness. But we must understand that John was trying more to protect the reputation of Christ than to just be mean and spiteful. John wanted Jesus to receive His just glory and reacted accordingly to this man.
A little later, Luke records in Luke 9:51-56, that when Jesus sent messengers to a Samaritan village to prepare for Him, and they rejected Jesus, James and John asked if Jesus wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the village! Jesus had to rebuke the brothers!
Jesus had every right to rebuke them for what was a monstrous idea on the part of these brothers. After all, Jesus came to bring life, not death! Their over-zealous love for Christ clouded their judgment, as they were once again more concerned about the cause of Christ than just the death of the Samaritans.
We read in Mark 10:35-40 of an exchange between the two brothers and Jesus. They asked if they could sit on the places of honor, His left and right, in the kingdom. The other disciples were angry with them, and even Jesus told them they could not handle what he was about to go through.
While we, like the other disciples, are again quick to condemn them, let us not miss the fact that their motive had more to do with the spiritual kingdom of Christ than merely a power-hungry passion. Their over-zealousness caused them to be considered rude and ambitious, but they were sincerely seeking to be with Jesus to the end.
It is reported that Thomas Aquinas was being shown all the splendor and riches of the Vatican by the Pope. The pope said, “You see, no longer can we say, ‘Silver and gold have I none!’” Aquinas responded, “And no longer can you say, ‘In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk!”
I understand that on each of these occasions in John’s life there was an over-zealousness on his part. But that same zealousness carries over to his epistle 1 John, where we see on display this energy of hatred toward the work of the devil, and toward those dispositions which are under the influence of the father of lies.
I like the fact that his love for Jesus and the spiritual matters of which Jesus spoke stirred a zealous love within his heart. We should all desire the same heart, while at the same time praying that we not become as over-zealous as John. God would rather see us zealously love the things of God than the things of this world!
III. He Had a Commanding Love for Love Itself (1 John 4:7-8)
John, with Peter, became one of the early leaders of the new-founded Church. We hear less of him after Paul came on the scene, but he was still influential according to other sources. His long life afforded him the opportunity to labor long for his Master. Records indicate that much of his ministry centered in Ephesus and the surrounding area.
His writings reveal just how much John was in love with the concept of God’s love itself. In the gospel of John, he mentions love 39 times, more than the other gospels combined. His letter called 1 John is a treatise on love, where it is mentioned 52 times in 20 verses (including the word “beloved” or “loved ones”), and the phrase “love one another” occurs 5 times. The two short epistles of 2 & 3 John combined use the word 9 times. The most Paul mentions love is 17 times in Ephesians, and Peter mentions love 17 times total in 1 & 2 Peter.
In our text for today, John sums up his teaching on love. He teaches God is the embodiment of what love is (“God is love” and “love is from God. Love like God’s is a sign of spiritual life in a person (“whoever loves has been born of God and knows God”), with the lack of it proving that God is not in that life (“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love”). God’s love for us and in us becomes the basis for our love of one another (“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”).
He preached, taught, and discipled others all his life, and it is said his main message was “Love one another.” It is even reported that on his deathbed, when asked if he had any final words, he could only whisper, “Love one another.” The monikers “the Beloved Disciple” and “the Apostle of Love” followed him to the end.
May we so desire to have such an attitude toward love! The world must see the love of God exhibited not only in our proclamation of the gospel, but more importantly, displayed in our love for one another. That love testifies that our lives have been changed by the love of God, and reveals that others can be changed, too.
CONCLUSION
The king of a large kingdom was growing old and decided to select his heir from his four sons. He asked them one question: “If I leave my kingdom to you, what will you give to the kingdom?”
The first son was very rich. He offered to give his wealth and make the kingdom the richest in the world.
The second son was very intelligent. His offer was to provide his intelligence and to form the kingdom into the most intelligent kingdom in the world.
The third son was very strong. This son offered his own strength to turn the kingdom into the world’s strongest kingdom.
The fourth son was not especially rich, intelligent, or strong. When asked the question, he replied, “My father, you know that my brothers are much richer, smarter, and stronger than I. While they have spent years gaining these attributes, I have spent my time among the people in your Kingdom. I have shared with them in their sickness and sorrow. And I have learned to love them. I'm afraid that the only thing I have to give to your Kingdom is my love of the people. I know my brothers have more to offer than I do, therefore I will not be disappointed in not being named your heir. I will simply go on doing what I've always done.”
When the king died the people anxiously awaited the news as to their new ruler. And the greatest rejoicing the Kingdom ever knew took place when the 4th son was named by the king as his successor.
Wealth, intelligence, in strength are often noble virtues, but they pale when competing with love. This is how Paul said it: “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). May our love inspire those who see us as heroes to be more loving.
